Fastener.



C. OLSON.

PASTENER. APPLICATION FILED 11017.15, 1912.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

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Inventor Witnesses Attorneys Y io CHRISTIAN OLSON, OF EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

FASTENER.

Losasoe.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17,1914.

Application filed November 15, 1912. Serial No. 731,645.

VTo all whom it may concern Be it knownV that I, CHRISTIAN OLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Snohomish and State of lVashington, have invented a new and useful Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a fastener for shoes and analogous articles and has for an object to provide a fastener which will be used in the place of lacing and still retain the general appearance thereof.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in thedetails of construct-ion hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invent-ion herein disclosed, can be made within t-he scope of what is claimed, without depart-ing from the spirit of the invention.

InV the drawings accompanying this specicat-ion and forming a part thereof Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe having my improved fastener attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of my improved fastener. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the attaching members. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line A-A of Fig. 3, and illustrates the latch member after it has assumed a. locked posit-ion within the restricted portion of the opening with which the cap is provided. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line B-B of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding partsV throughout the several views, is a shoe with the flaps 11-11, an upper portion of one of which is bent backward as at 12 to clearly show the manner in which one of the fastening members is attached thereto. My fastener is composed of the three members 13, 14 and 15, which members will be taken up and described in turn.

The members 14 and 15 are rigidly fastened or formed integral and will be hereinafter termed a latch, 15 being the latch arm and 14 the latch head. The latch head 14 is formed with the circular base plate 16 and cap 17, the base plate 16 having projecting lugs extending therefrom similar t-o those shown in Fig. 3. The cap 17 is provided at its upper central portion with a projection 19 formed integral therewith,

said projection 19 being an imitation of the catch 20 of the member 13 and serves no other purpose t-han to retain a symmetrical or similar appearance between the members 13 and 111. T he latch arm 15 as has been mentioned, is formed integral with or is securely fastened to the member 14. The central portion of this latch arm'is broadenedy in imitation of the ordinary shoe lace. The end remote from the member 14 is bent downwardly and provided with an enlarged head 1S which head is adapted to engage the member 13 and be securely held thereby.

The member 13 may be termed a keeper and is provided with a base plate 21 and the cap 22 securely held thereto. The base plate 21 is provided with projecting` lugs 33 which lugs are adapted to be forced through the flaps 11 of the shoe and then into engagement therewith as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The cap 22 is provided with a key-hole opening in the side thereof,

which opening comprises an enlarged circular portion 23 and a limited slot 24. extending therefrom, the said opening 23 being of a size sufficient to allow the enlarged head 1S of the latch arm to pass readily therethrough, after which the latch arm is adapted to be drawn downward and into the slot 24 in which position the head is held securely by the limited size of the slot 24.

Positioned directly behind the opening 23 and within the cap 22 is a spring catch 25 fastened securely to the upper portion of the cap by rivets or other suitable means 26. Rigidly fastened to this catch plate 25 is the catch operating button 20, which button 20 extends upwardly and through a central opening in the cap 22.

In applying my improvedv fastener to a shoe, the latch arm is secured within the slot 24 of the keeper and the latch and keeper are then positioned upon the shoe fiaps 11 with the said flaps 11 in a closed or laced position. The lugs or projections 33 are then driven through the flaps and bent into engagement therewith, thereby holding the keeper and latch member securely fastened upon the fiaps 11. ln the accompanying drawings, have shown the keeper and latch provided with three of such projecting lugs I-lowever, this number may be varied according to the purpose for which the fastener is to be used. The minimum number however, of proj ections is defi- Crt nite and is two. Vith the keeper and latch applied as hereinbetore designated, the normal tendency of the latch arm l will be to remain wit-hin the slot 24 to thereby hold the shoe in a laced or buttoned position. However, in order to insure against the accidental withdrawal or" the arm l5 from the slot 2i, the spring catch hereinbefore described is provided. rlhis spring catch prevents the arm l5 from moving upward and out of the slot 2li after once having been positioned securely therein. However, when it is the wish. of the wearer to unlace the shoe, the button 2O upon the keeper 13 is pushed inwardly which action lowers the sprin catch out of engagement with the head 18 and allows the latterl to be moved upwardly and into the enlarged opening oi the keeper, which opening is of sutlicient diameter to allow for the ready withdrawal of the head 1S therethrough.

is illustrated in Fig. el ot the drawings, the latch is moved laterally after the saine enters the socket so as to engage the restricted portion of the said keyhole shaped pening, it then being in the position subeistantially as illustrated in the said figure.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that my fastener may be applied with equal success to such articles as shoes, gloves, etc. in each of which cases the keeper and latch cap will be designed to present a neat and pleasing appearance. Thus it will be. seen that if have invented an improved fastener which simple, and eliicient in its action, may readily be applied to slices, gloves, or other similar articles and 'furthermore can be made plain or fancy according to the taste et the wearer.

ilaving thus described my invention, what .if claim to be new and original with ine is 1d l. ln a device of the character described, a latch head, a latch arm extending there from, the tree end of said latch arm provided with an enlarged portion, a shelllike keeper provided with a key-hole shaped opening in the side wall thereof, said enlarged portion or said latch arm adapted to extend within the enlarged portion of said key-hole shaped opening, said latch arm adapted to be drawn down within the restricted portion of said keyeholc shaped opening, a spring catch disposed within said shell-like keeper adapted to engage said latch arm to maintain the same within the restricted portion of said key-hole shaped opening, means extending through said keeper iter the releasing of said spring catch from said latch arm.

2. The combination with a shoe, of a latch member rigidly secured to the slice ltlaps, a latch arm secured rigidly to and extending radially from said latch member, said latch arm being provided with an enlarged head, a keeper rigidly secured to the G5 shoe flap opposite said latch member, said keeper being provided with a keyhole shaped opening therein, adapted to engage said enlarged head end oi said latch arm,

a spring catch located within said keeper and adapted to retain said latch arm within said keeper, a catch button secured to said catch and adapted to actuate said catch to disengage said latch arm from said keeper.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, i hare hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHRSTLXN OLSGN.

Vitnesses A. Unsor, lil. H. Pirrnnsi-racnn.

Gopes of this patent :may "ne obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. E. 

